Subscribe by Email

Thank you, your email will be added to the mailing list once you click on the link in the confirmation email.

Your Email

Leave this field blank

Please prove that you are not a robot.

A blog for educators and parents of teenage girls…

The idea of the Butterfly Effect comes from the science of chaos theory. It suggests that everything is connected, to the extent that the beating of a butterfly's wings in one part of the world may ultimately contribute to a tornado happening in another part of the world.
At Enlighten Education, we recognise that when it comes to the impact we as individuals have on others, small changes can make a huge difference.
Join us in a new, powerful conversation on body image, self-esteem and the future of our girls.
Please visit our company website to learn more about Enlighten Education.
You may also buy my books, "The Butterfly Effect", "The Girl With The Butterfly Tattoo", "Loveability an Empowered Girl’s Guide to Dating and Relationships" and "Gratitude – A positive new approach to raising thankful kids".

Wall of Shame

The healthy Beer?

What was Jessica Simpson ( who is not only the spokesperson for this new brand of beer but also an investor in the brewery that manufacturers it) thinking when she got involved in a range that obviously targets young female drinkers in the most irresponsible way?

The singer, 28, says in the campaign: “I work out and take care of myself. But I also like a cold beer once in a while. That’s why I made the smart choice with a smart beer. Stampede Light, it’s beer plus.”

Yes, it is light beer infused with vitamins…I kid you not. The company’s web site declares it contains vitamin B and is “made from pure spring water…geared towards the health-conscious.”

Take Me On The Floor

Australian Rock group The Veronicas (twins Jess and Lisa Origliasso) are heavily marketed towards the tween demographic. They have a highly successful clothing range for girls aged 7-16 which is sold at Target stores and are regular cover girls for tween magazines. In recent interviews, the twins have acknowledged that fans as young as four go along to their concerts: “For our last record (their debut, Exposed: The Secret Life of the Veronicas) we were surprised by the age demographic it appealed to – we had kids as young as four coming, but adults as well,” Lisa says.

What will their devoted tween fans make of their new single “Take Me On The Floor”? The film clip is simply soft-porn. Shots of the now almost obligatory girl on girl kissing, lots of gyrating and close ups of thighs being groped…the lyrics include an incredible amount of heavy breathing (do they suffer from asthma perhaps?) and the mantra “I wanna kiss a girl, I wanna kiss a girl, I wanna kiss a boy, I wanna … ” The dancers meanwhile writhe uncontrollably as they all “take each other” on the dance floor ( all this at 9am on Saturday morning TV, before I’ve even had my Coco Pops!)

When asked about the move towards highly sexual lyrics in their new album “Hook Me Up ” when the album was first released way back in October last year in an interview in the Sydney Morning Herald, Lisa offered this:

I think in the music world today that (sex) is a very big part of all songs…You can’t really listen to one song on the radio that isn’t referring to relationships or that whole thing. Every song seems to be about that, it seems to be driven by that. I don’t think this is any different. It’s just a fun song. You know, you can interpret how you want to. But I think kids are a little bit more wise these days … I mean kids have boyfriends when they’re 12. I didn’t have my first kiss until I was 15,” she adds, with a laugh. “

So Lisa wasn’t ready for her first kiss until she was 15, but children nowadays should be ready for anything much earlier? And sorry, but unless I am missing something this new song is not about a relationship at all, the opening line states: “I barely know you…”

My 9 year old daughter had a Veronicas t-shirt.

It’s been binned.

Ralph magazine makes me ralph

Ralph maagzine hit a record low (and that is saying something!) with their pictorial of ex-Big Brother “star” Brigitte this month. She is posed in scanty lingerie, proudly exposing her fake breats – on a bed surrounded by children’s cuddly toys, with a baby’s dummy in her hand! One can only assume readers are meant to be aroused by her child-like appeal. Disgusting. Devastating.

And, what sage advice does she offer to readers? When asked what she would do if she became PM she offered this: “I’d probably give everyone free boob jobs. I think guys would appreciate the girls getting them.”

8 Comments

Mariana O'Driscoll

The images presented by these ‘so called role models’ is concerning, especially in light of the research released by Deakin University which has found that children as young as four are already being affected by socio cultural influences in relation to body image. Surely, those that have ‘star status because of the admiration they recieve from these young audiences owe it to their fans to present healthy images and realistic ideals for the way to succeed in life.

The Veronica’s used to live near me and I remember them singing at the annual “carols by candlelight.” It is sad that they have lost their individuality and have submitted to being cookie cutter sexed up pop singers. Yawn!
Where is the originality? And where is the logic? How can they keep a straight face when they try to tell us that they’re sexed up lyrics and “dancing” is actually about something else?
I’m slightly comforted by the fact that their CD’s will end up in the bargain bin at k-mart soon enough. But in the meantime we have to put up with their ridiculous video clips and clothing marketed toward young girls.
And Jessica Simpson – i’m not surprised.

And that’s exactly why I won’t shop at Target anymore. When my girls suddenly needed to buy size 7 instead of 6 clothes, I found I had to shop in a different section of Target, and I was shocked by the outfits and the Veronikas, and decided never to go back.

I had to buy Teyah (child’s size 12) some new clothes for our upcoming holiday and found it almost impossible to get anything that wasn’t either emblazoned with a stupid slogan (“Born Famous”, “Soon to be Famous”, ” So Famous” – why do they want little girls to be so obsessed with fame??) or Veronica’s like ( a look the marketers call “Punk Princess” – black, chains, slashes, cut outs etc – and not Teyah at all!).

Ironically, I ended up getting her some dresses and tops from the women’s section at a department store and just had them adjusted. In the women’s section there was variety and she picked some bright, flowery sun dresses (the bohemian, peasant look that is in fashion now) and a top that she liked from the Little Miss range, Little Miss Sunshine (strange that this range is mostly stocked in adult sizes as they are children’s characters).

I understand that flowers and sunshine aren’t for every little girl – and nor should any of us conform to just one look. I love that little girl’s are all so different. At a school I worked in recently when I called a girl “My Princess” ( a term I explain has more to do with being ready to rule the Kingdom than being spoilt) she corrected me and said, “Nah, I’d rather be your vampire. I like power, just not pink.”

The reason why the Veronica’s initally appealed to a much younger audience was as they offered an alternative to all the pink and these singers were looked up to as strong, rocker gals. A relative originally bought Teyah her Veronica’s label t-shirt about a year ago as she had thought it cool then as it was one of the few pieces of clothing for girls that was not all saccherine sweet looking! However, now the children’s clothing manufacturers have all caught on to this “alternative” look and do not offer much more than just mini-punk styles. It is no longer all that alternative!

The MOST IMPORTANT point here though is that manufacturers need to pick the spokespeople they are going to use for their labels far more carefully. I don’t want to see little girls buying into the Veronicas now that they have clearly sold out on their young audience.

Love this blog Danni… the girls from Big Brother whose only aspirations relate to bikini modeling do my head in!

If I remember correctly the issue of Ralph featuring Brigette also featured a shoot with former BB contestant Krystal (however I am aware that most men’s mags have at least one shot of her in every issue). This particular shoot with Krystal had her posed basically naked and tied up in chains like a slave. Brilliant – a cutesy, scantily clad blonde on the bed with stuffed toys and a brunette sex slave both with enourmous, round, shiny breasts and puffy lips. Surely even Ralph readers are getting sick of this???

I was soooo happy when i read that she rejected PETA’s offer to pose in the nuddie for their save the animals (treat women like meat) campaign. I thought “finally a woman with some integrity.” But then I find she is a prolific men’s mag poser – and she posed with children’s toys!